


Zealous

by lcdsra



Series: LCDSRA's A-Z Soulmate Prompts [26]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26609032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lcdsra/pseuds/lcdsra
Summary: /ˈzeləs/adjective1. having or showing zeal.Or: A story of pride and love, told in reverse.
Relationships: Saga/Veda, Trudy/Veda
Series: LCDSRA's A-Z Soulmate Prompts [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935553





	Zealous

**Author's Note:**

> AU: You are born with the initials of your soulmate on your palm.
> 
> Character(s): Veda, Rain, Kirin, Saga, Trudy, Veda’s mother  
> Relationship(s): Saga/Veda, Trudy/Veda  
> Warning(s): Implied sexual content, age difference

Veda was not nervous, whatsoever. Sure, lesser people would have cowered under the twin gazes (glares) of two Commanders, but she did not. She had said her piece, requested for her soulmate’s safety, and now it was time to argue for it.

Elemental Air was the only option Veda could think of for Saga, and she needed its leader’s approval for the transfer. Unfortunately, they had varying degrees of apathy to her plight.

Aquarius wasn’t even at the meeting, too busy recovering from an injury, and Libra looked bored, frankly. She was subtle about it, but occasionally she slouched slightly, or her eyes would drift down. And finally, Gemini seemed invested in showing his resentment towards Saga and his doubt of her and not the fact an obviously abused woman needed help.

“Saga is a specialist with a certain set of skills STARS could utilize.” Veda pointed out.

“She’s still a loose canon that we don’t have the time to fix.” Gemini replied, raising a brow. He leaned back in his seat, as if satisfied with his argument.

Veda was never one to back down from a challenge. “Well, would you rather she go try to live with normal people? Because that’s our only other option.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” The man said casually. “She’s a threat to our safety, and you don’t know how to control her.”

“I do.” Veda replied just as passively. “She’s out of options, and Saga was never meant to be a martyr.”

But Gemini wasn’t interested in listening. She saw how he closed himself off with an air of finality. “I am the head of Elemental Air and that _monster_ will not be joining.” He got up and nodded to them both. “Good day.”

Veda wanted to shout, _that monster is my soulmate you pig_ , but she held her tongue. Her pride wouldn’t get in the way, if it was Saga who would pay the price. The commanders were powerful on their own, but insulting Gemini basically insulted Libra (and by extension Aquarius), which wouldn’t help whatsoever.

She got up to follow him, catching the door before it shut all the way, when Libra’s voice stopped her. “Basu, stay behind for a moment.”

Veda paused at the other woman’s request. Gemini was already out of earshot, but she shut the door anyway. “Yes, Libra?”

She leaned forward slightly, tilting her head, as if analyzing her. “You want Saga, the assassin who has killed many of our own, to join us.”

“Yes.”

Libra drummed her fingers against the table. “Rain’s judgement is too often clouded by grudges, but I see your point. I will authorize her training and transfer under a few conditions.”

Veda suppresses a grin. This is exactly what she needed. “Anything.”

“One, do not tell Saga about Clair. Don’t even mention her name to her, or the deal is off.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She never did understand why Libra had such an attachment to the young girl. It made her unbearably curious, even before the whole debacle this year.

“Second, you will take full responsibility for her actions, good and bad. You’ll act like her sponsor, though it won’t be official.” Libra began typing as she spoke. “And third, she will first have to find Moon Dust and bring her in.”

Veda stilled. So that was the game she was playing, two birds with one stone. Gain two valuable assets, while proving Saga was trustworthy and satisfying Veda’s desires.

“In exchange for?” She had a feeling about what Elemental Air would offer, but she always double checked when making deals.

Libra’s mouth quirked to the side involuntarily. “Full access to Elemental Air’s resources. She’ll be named as a specialist, and given the salary of one. Elemental Air will provide housing, food, and basic necessities to her as long as she stays under the contract.”

“Contract?” She echoed.

A printer that sat on the desk burst to life at that. She glanced warily at it as the machine spat out pages upon pages of paper with text scrawled across it. Libra gathered the pages together and stapled them into a packet.

“Shard will sign a contract, as all members of STARS do.” She elaborated.

Veda took the files. “I will discuss this with her, then.”

“Good. See to it that those contracts are signed properly.”

: : :

The feeling of coming down was perhaps the worst parts of her nights with Trudy. Even soaked in sweat and satisfied, a sense of guilt tended to crawl up her spine.

Trudy didn’t have a soulmate, and was free to be with whoever she felt like. But Veda’s was missing (though not dead) and here she was, kissing another girl. Kissing a _much_ younger girl. Veda glanced at her bedmate, only to find her watching her.

“What is it?” She asked.

Trudy reached out, as if to touch her, but froze, her hand suspended in the air. “You’re beautiful.”

Veda laughed a little, strained. “I’m hardly a young duckling.” But the comment made her want to glow with pride. “I think you’re pretty good yourself.”

The compliment was hardly her best, but she knew Trudy soaked it up. The girl clinged to her every word, as if they were her way of life. It had been too long since someone had looked at her like that. Even when she was with Saga, Saga’s independence kept herself from falling into the fantasy of soulmates.

Trudy beamed, and stretched. The sheet fell away from her body, but Veda didn’t look. She missed Saga, even when she had a perfectly fine replacement next to her.

Veda kicked the sheets off and left Trudy’s room.

: : :

A bitter part of Veda wasn’t surprised that Saga disappeared without warning. She never did appreciate what she had, never stopped to think about how her actions would hurt others.

It was infuriating, and Veda’s heart ached for her other half, but she kept that part silent. Right now, she had to focus. The police brought her in to ask her a few questions, as she was the last seen with her.

“When was the last time you talked to Saga Lyles?” The man across from her asked the question casually, as if they were talking about the weather. He introduced himself as ‘James’ and he wanted a certain answer from her, but there wasn’t much she actually knew.

Veda crossed her legs under the table. “Two days ago.”

“And what did you talk about?”

Something mundane. Something personal and wonderful that was only theirs. “College.” She said instead. “We were going to room together.” Not lies. Stretches of the truth, perhaps.

He nodded, “And what was your relationship with her?”

She tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Were you friends?”

“Yes.” A lie. They were more than that.

“Has she ever indicated she wanted to leave before?”

“No.” Lie, she wanted to break up with her.

James peered closely at her. She met his eyes and held them until he looked away. “Right, well, I’m sorry for your loss.”

It took all of her willpower to not reply or react. “Thank you.”

“How was she in the previous week before?”

“Stressed.”

“About?”

“Our first year of college.”

“And how old was she?”

“Is she, you mean.”

He nodded, but he couldn’t take back the slip. “Of course.”

“19.”

It went back and forth like that for an hour, but Veda already knew what the police would do. They’d put her as a missing person, but they wouldn’t conduct an investigation. Saga was a legal adult, her parents wouldn’t be able to afford to push, and Veda didn’t have to be a detective to know she left on her own.

“Oh, one last thing.” James stopped her as she was about to leave the room. “May I see your palm?”

Veda automatically glanced at her hands. He wanted to know who her soulmate was, which wasn’t really a good sign. She showed him her left palm without complaint. The cursive ’SL’ was a deep red, and pulsed along with her soulmate’s heartbeat. “His name is Samuel Lyles.”

That intrigued the officer, even though it too was a lie. “Is that how you know Saga?”

“Yes.”

He finally let her go. Veda wondered, later, if would’ve been better to tell him the truth. Veda was so sure Saga was alive because she was her soulmate, not her siblings. It had been confusing at first, and her compulsory heterosexuality told her it was Samuel, but the Lyles sibling’s palms didn’t lie.

Samuel had RG, and Saga had VB.

But telling him the truth would’ve revealed their relationship, and Veda had promised Saga she wouldn’t tell. Saga doubted her, and maybe it was her pride that kept her lying.

: : :

Veda had a brother which meant she had to keep up with him if she wanted to hang out with him.

Which was usually fine, until his enemies became hers.

Pratham must have made these two boys mad, because they followed her from school and she knew she was in trouble.

“Aw, Pratham’s baby sister is scared.” One boy mocked.

Veda didn’t feel afraid, but she kept her eyes on the two regardless, wary.

“Who’s gonna save you now?” The other cooed, inching closer.

Her back was against the metal railing, and below them, a steady stream of water. It wouldn’t kill her, but it would be enough to embarrass her.

The first boy moved to grab her, and she roughly stomped on his foot. He yelped in surprise, which just fueled the other boy into action.

“You’ll regret that.” He growled, but she merely bared her teeth to him.

He closed in on her and she flailed her arms wildly. A hand made contact with the second boy’s cheek, which gave her enough time to run.

They were laughing as they chased her, and she could feel them getting closer, when suddenly she bumped into someone.

Veda withheld a scream of surprise, but it was only her mother.

Her mother wasn’t a soft woman. Her stare could get the most stubborn of people to wilt under her gaze, but now she was glaring. The boys came to a stop. “What do you think you’re doing.” Her mother demanded.

“Playing with your daughter, Miss,” the second boy replied nervously.

“She likes us, you see!” The first followed up, more confident.

For one, terrifying second, Veda thought her mother would agree and let her go. Instead, her glare got sharper and her voice, colder. “Leave my daughter alone. If I see you near her again I won’t hesitate to beat you with a belt.”

The boys scrambled after that. Veda glanced up, fiddling with her backpack strap. Her mother watched them retreat, but leaned down to her height and looked her in the eyes. “I saw what you did.”

Veda sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry,”

But oddly, her mother shook her head and smiled. “You defended yourself, even when at a disadvantage. I’m impressed, honestly.” She placed a hand on her shoulder. “You should be proud.”

**Author's Note:**

> Remember the words you told me, love me 'til the day I die  
> Surrender my everything 'cause you made me believe you're mine  
> Yeah, you used to call me baby, now you calling me by name  
> Takes one to know one, yeah  
> You beat me at my own damn game
> 
> \- Youngblood by 5 Seconds of Summer


End file.
